In his mind, Li Fan couldn’t help but recall the detailed explanation that Master Hongdao had given in his past life about the Dissociation Disc.
“The more formation data the Dissociation Disc absorbs, the stronger its ability to break formations becomes. Likewise, its capacity for deduction and iteration also grows exponentially. It’s unimaginable what heights it may reach in the future.”
“Who’s to say that, in your hands, the Dissociation Disc won’t evolve into a second Tianxuan Mirror?”
…
For the Dissociation Disc to complete its transformation, it required fuel—in the form of various formations. Li Fan had immersed himself in formation techniques across multiple lifetimes. While he might not rank among the top formation masters in the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, his breadth of knowledge was second to none.
Zhang Zhiliang’s [Infinite Law], He Zhenghao’s [Hundred Veins of Mountains and Rivers Formation], the Medicine King Sect’s [Great Dream of Spring and Autumn Formation]…
Even the [Tianxuan Spirit-Locking Formation], which had yet to appear in this era, or the [Life-and-Death Reversal Grand Formation] from the mysterious zone of life and death—legendary formations of unparalleled power.
Li Fan was intimately familiar with them all.
If he had to personally set up these formations, he might find himself somewhat lacking. However, if it was only about virtual deduction and calculation, there would be no difficulty whatsoever.
A test to determine whether the Dissociation Disc, as a secondary entity derived from the Tianxuan Mirror, still maintained a connection to its original form.
His method of testing was simple—the [Tianxuan Spirit-Locking Formation].
This formation had been the very foundation upon which the Mysterious Net was built in his past life. If the Dissociation Disc shared a connection with the Tianxuan Mirror, then the mirror should be able to perceive the state of its derivative entity. By infusing the Dissociation Disc with the data of the Spirit-Locking Formation, Li Fan expected that forces within the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance loyal to the Tianxuan Mirror would take immediate notice.
If that happened, they would surely track down the Dissociation Disc’s location.
On the other hand, if the Dissociation Disc completed its transformation without causing any disturbances, it would confirm the claim that secondary entities were completely severed from the Tianxuan Mirror upon separation and could be regarded as independent beings. At least, the Dissociation Disc would be.
“It may be risky, but it’s worth a try.”
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, his pupils reflecting countless swiftly changing formations.
The Dissociation Disc in his hand glowed faintly, responding to his calculations.
Meanwhile, in Tianliang Prefecture, Xu Bai was facing an unexpected predicament.
Since taking on the role of Communication Envoy, he had handled the placement of the influential clans’ descendants from other prefectures into various non-critical positions within Tianliang Prefecture. His management had been smooth, keeping all parties satisfied.
However, just recently, a cultivator named Guan Changge, hailing from Tianyu Prefecture, had gone missing.
In these times, death was not as alarming as disappearance.
If one died, the Rebirth Mansion ensured that they could be reborn in eighteen years. But if someone went missing…
The possibilities were endless.
Xu Bai was acquainted with Guan Changge’s elder—a powerful figure named Guan Xingxiu, the Commander of the Tianyu Prefecture Garrison Institute. A man of his status would normally not personally intervene in such matters; at most, he would send subordinates to inquire.
Yet, Guan Xingxiu had personally come to Tianliang Prefecture, and his demeanor suggested he was ready to demand accountability.
This clearly indicated that something unusual was at play.
The newly appointed City Lord of Tianliang, Nangong Shiyong, had solemnly promised to give Guan Xingxiu a satisfactory explanation.
After temporarily appeasing Guan Xingxiu, Nangong Shiyong immediately turned to Xu Bai and assigned him the task.
In a secret chamber, his expression was serious.
“This matter seems suspicious. We had only just received the report, and yet, Guan Xingxiu arrived almost immediately, as if he had already known in advance…”
“This is most likely aimed at us. Investigate the situation first. I will head to the Immortal Alliance Headquarters. If you uncover anything significant, do not act rashly. Wait for my return.”
With those instructions, Nangong Shiyong departed in haste.
Xu Bai, now tasked with the investigation, set aside his other duties and proceeded to the last known location of Guan Changge.
Tianliang Prefecture, Wuliang Mountain.
“Guan Changge disappeared right here, right before your eyes?” Xu Bai asked while scanning the mountain with his spiritual sense.
The three cultivators accompanying him nodded repeatedly, looking deeply anxious.
One of them explained, “We’ve heard that strange phenomena sometimes appear on the Boundless Wall of Wuliang Mountain, much like the Mortal Ascension to God Wall. So, we decided to come and observe it. However, just as we arrived and were trying to locate the exact position of the Boundless Wall, Brother Guan suddenly vanished.”
Another added, “At first, we thought he had left due to some urgent matter, so we didn’t think much of it. But after we finished observing the spectacle of the Boundless Wall and returned to Tianliang City, we still couldn’t reach Brother Guan. That’s when we realized something was wrong.”
“Not only did we fail to reach him via talisman communication, but even when I attempted a divination using objects he left in my care, I couldn’t get any results.” said the last cultivator, Fu Xingchi.
Xu Bai flew above Wuliang Mountain, scanning the area but sensing no abnormalities.
Given his close connection with Heavenly Dao, if there were something wrong with this location, he should have been able to perceive it.
It seemed unlikely that the problem lay with Wuliang Mountain itself…
Wait.
Xu Bai suddenly thought of something and asked, “Where exactly is this so-called Boundless Wall?”
Fu Xingchi was momentarily stunned before pointing toward a canyon below. “It’s at the bottom of the mountain.”
“Take me there,” Xu Bai said in a deep voice.
The three others didn’t understand his urgency, but knowing this matter was of great importance, they dared not refuse.
Leading Xu Bai, they arrived before the Boundless Wall.
Originally, the mountain was covered with scattered rocks and vegetation, but as they neared the bottom, the surface suddenly became smooth as a mirror.
Even the mountain streams reflected clearly upon it.
Xu Bai gazed at the massive mirror-like rock face, which was approximately three hundred zhang (around 1,000 meters) in length and over fifty zhang (about 170 meters) in height. He saw his own reflection within it.
When he reached out to touch it, it was as cold as jade.
“At the time, did you witness the so-called phenomenon?” Xu Bai asked.
Fu Xingchi nodded. “The manifestations of the Boundless Wall do not appear at fixed intervals. Sometimes, they occur multiple times in a single day; other times, it can go years without appearing. It all depends on one’s fate.”
“We were quite lucky last time—we saw the image of a cultivator practicing swordsmanship within it. Though the sword moves were slow, they seemed to contain supreme sword techniques. Our minds were completely captivated by it, unable to pull away.”
“Can you recreate what you saw?”
“I can.”
With that, Fu Xingchi retrieved a brush and began drawing in the air.
Moments later, just like a water-mirror technique recording the scene, a vivid depiction of the cultivator practicing swordsmanship appeared before everyone.
“Brother Fu, your brushwork is truly extraordinary—it looks exactly as I remember it,” one of the other cultivators praised.
Xu Bai stared at the swordplay scene for a long time before suddenly asking, “Does Guan Changge know swordsmanship?”
Fu Xingchi was stunned on the spot.
He quickly responded, “Are you suspecting that the figure appearing in the Boundless Wall was Brother Guan?”
“That’s impossible. Brother Guan cultivates the Dao of Music—he doesn’t know swordsmanship,” Fu Xingchi firmly denied.
“I’ve heard that Brother Changge deeply admires Senior Guan Xingxiu. He often laments that he cannot wield sword techniques as earth-shattering and divine as Senior Guan,” another cultivator suddenly recalled.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell into silence.
Unconsciously, they all turned toward the Boundless Wall, an unsettling chill rising in their hearts.
Xu Bai was the first to break the heavy silence. “For now, this is just speculation without concrete proof. Temporarily seal off Wuliang Mountain and prevent anyone from approaching. I need to return and check if similar incidents have occurred before.”
Fu Xingchi and the other two cultivators wore grave expressions but nodded in understanding.
Xu Bai hurried back to Tianliang City and requested access to past records.
Sure enough, he found something suspicious.
Over the past century, there had been occasional reports of cultivators mysteriously vanishing.
However, they were all wandering cultivators without strong backgrounds.
After their disappearances, only their close companions would report the incidents to the Immortal Alliance.
The path of cultivation is fraught with dangers, and life and death are unpredictable.
Investigations had ruled out Five Elders Association spies, but without any useful leads, the cases were ultimately left unresolved.
And so, the Boundless Wall had silently swallowed countless nameless cultivators over the years—yet no one had ever noticed.
Until now.
TL:- The term “Wuliang” also translates to “Boundless,” but to avoid confusion with “Boundless Wall” and keep the flow natural, I’ve opted to leave it as “Wuliang Mountain.” Otherwise, we’d end up with a bit too much “boundless” bouncing around—Boundless Mountain, Boundless Wall—and that might feel repetitive. Hope that keeps it clear and easy to read!
